Nixon Cuts $59 Million After Lawmakers Enact Tax Breaks

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has cut $59 million of spending for schools, roads and other programs to counteract new tax breaks enacted when lawmakers overrode his vetoes.

Nixon announced the budget cuts Thursday, a day after lawmakers overrode his vetoes.

The cuts include more than $24 million for K-12 schools, $20 million for highway projects, more than $8 million for higher education and more than $4 million for agricultural programs.

Nixon said the cuts were necessary to offset two newly enacted tax breaks — an income tax deduction for agricultural disaster aid payments and a sales tax exemption for instructional classes such as dance lessons.

Lawmakers have disputed Nixon's cost estimates for the tax breaks.